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LASALLE — A 23-year-old man died after being shot by a 17-year-old boy early Saturday morning in LaSalle.

About 1:30 a.m., the Weld County Sheriff's Office responded to a shooting in the 18000 block of Weld County Road 43, about 6 miles southeast of LaSalle. The caller informed dispatchers he accidentally shot his friend while handling a weapon inside the residence, according to a news release from the Weld County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff's office spokesman Cpl. Matt Turner said authorities aren't sure what state the weapon was in at the time the boy was handling it, nor do they know for sure what he was trying to do with the weapon.

The suspect was taken into custody on suspicion of criminally negligent homicide.

The suspect's name was not released because he is a juvenile. The name of the victim was not released Saturday by the Weld County Coroner's Office, pending notification of next of kin.

The shooting happened in a rural area outside of town, where farmland stretched for miles, separating neighbors' homes. By Saturday afternoon — hours after the shooting — there were no visible signs of the investigation, and the closest neighbors said they weren't aware that anything had happened.

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The suspect stayed at the residence often, and the victim was declared dead at the scene, the release stated.

According to the sheriff's office, there is no threat to the safety of the public. No further information was immediately released.

Anyone with information regarding this or any other crime is asked to call the Weld County Sheriff's Office at (970) 356-4015 or Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800 222-8477 or 1 (800) 444-3776.